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Cultivating trust in God…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect….

Today’s chapter talks about cultivating trust in God so that it becomes a strong habit and is there when we need it, when life makes no sense. He calls it developing “a faith where our first impulse in the face of life’s challenges is to trust God rather than figure out what God is doing so we can get a handle on life.”

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

I’m absolutely guilty of getting stuck in the “why” of life. I ruminate, fret, worry, etc, trying to figure out what in the world God is up to, why things are happening the way they are. Eventually I make my way to, “I do not understand what You are up to, God, but I trust You.” Clearly, I need to focus on trust first and foremost. Jesus, Help me.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Lord, You are teaching me so much during this study about faith and trust. Thank You for the reminder that I need to respond to You in trust first and foremost. I do trust You, Lord. I do. Help me to trust You more. Amen.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.

Have a blessed day.

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Cast all your anxiety on him…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

I want to look specifically at verse 7. To cast, as a literary verb, means to throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction. God calls me to cast my anxiety on Him because He cares for me. I’m guilty of gently tossing my anxieties in His general direction before I quickly jerk them back to me. Jesus, Help me.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Verse 6 makes more sense in light of my propensity to horde my anxieties instead of casting them on God. I have to humble myself, to recognize that I can’t do a single thing about these anxieties that eat me up and that I, therefore, need to hand them over to the One who can do all things. Jesus, Help me.

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Lord, I love You. Fiercely. I trust You and believe in You. Completely. Help me to humble myself before You, to cast my anxieties on You and leave them with You, so that I may be free to serve Your people with grace, love, and compassion. Amen.

1 Peter 5:11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

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Love, grace, and compassion…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

I do not think God’s default personality is vengeful. I don’t think He’s waiting and watching, trying to catch us messing up so He can punish us. I think He is a loving, gracious, compassionate God, and I think He asks us to adopt that same attitude—loving, gracious, compassionate—towards ourselves and each other.

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

But when I examine myself, my actions, asking whether I am being a faithful steward of God’s grace by being loving, gracious, and compassionate, sometimes the answer is a resounding no. I’m learning that at those times, when I feel I’m failing miserably on every front, God wants me to apply those traits of grace, love, and compassion more thoroughly to myself and my actions.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Lord, Thank You for being the God of love, mercy, and compassion. Thank You for loving me fiercely and for infusing my spirit with these godly traits. Thank You for my ability to shower these traits on Your people. Help me to get better at showing love, grace, and compassion to myself. Amen.

1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

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Instructions and reminders…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 3:3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.

This chapter is one of instruction and reminders, and the information is as timely today as ever. Don’t seek validation in the eyes of the world. Our beauty, our worth, comes from our inner self, from a gentle, quiet, loving spirit, not from the world’s approval.

1 Peter 3:4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Don’t be a jerk to others. Be compassionate, humble, loving, sympathetic. Love one another. Don’t repay evil for evil or insult for insult. Be a blessing to others. Love them. Care for them.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Lord, The instructions and reminders of this chapter are quite sensible, but humans aren’t. Forgive us. Help us to focus our minds and hearts on You. Help us to love, support, encourage, and forgive each other, treating each other with the compassion You show us, regardless of whether they “deserve” it. Help us to love like You love. Draw us closer. Amen.

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Have a blessed day.

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Spiritual sustenance…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation….

Infants can only handle mother’s milk for the first several months of life. Trying to give them anything more substantial would be not only futile but harmful. However, as they grow and mature, more substantial food is necessary for proper growth. Staying with mother’s milk only would eventually become harmful.

1 Peter 2:3 …if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

I think this is the idea behind scripture that describes God’s word as alive and active. Our ability to understand His words grows as we do. Our ability to see nuances in meaning grows as our life experience increases. Our need for more substantial spiritual sustenance grows with us as well.

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious….

Lord, You are chosen and precious to me, and I know that I am chosen and precious to You. Thank You for that gift. Thank You for the ability to draw closer to You as I learn and grow, as I read and study. Thank You for Your spiritual sustenance. Amen.

1 Peter 2:5 …you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Have a blessed day.

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An inexpressible and glorious joy…. (devo reflection)

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead….

This is a chapter of praise and joy. We have hope through Christ, we have His great inheritance, and this hope and inheritance are ours because of His great mercy.

1 Peter 1:4-5 …and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Our inheritance is kept safe for us  in heaven. And though we have to face trials in this life, we can rejoice because this world is not our home. Christ is our eternal inheritance.

1 Peter 1:6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Lord, I pray to You the words of 1 Peter 1:8…. Though I have not seen You, I see Your grace and glory in a thousand ways everyday and I love You. Though I am not in Your physical presence, I know You are with me and love me fiercely. I believe in You and am filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. Thank You for who You are and who You are to me. Thank You for the joy that can only come from You. Amen.

1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy….

Have a blessed day.

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A precious cornerstone…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 28:16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. (NIV)
Commentary on this chapter was difficult for me to read because I know that if someone were struggling with the grip of addiction, the commentary on this chapter would leave them hopeless. However, the cornerstone spoken of in this verse and in 1 Peter 2:6 is Jesus Christ, the ultimate source of hope.
Isaiah 28:16 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. (NLT)
It was Jesus who broke bread with Judas, even knowing that Judas would betray Him. It was Jesus who prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” as the soldiers cast lots for His clothes (Luke 23:34). It was Jesus who told the criminal, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Like 23:43). Jesus. Hope.
Isaiah 28:16 Therefore the Lord GOD said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable. (CSB)
Dearest Jesus, Thank You for being a source of hope for the hopeless, not because You advocate debauchery but because You love us so that You want us with You, no matter how far we’ve strayed. Thank You for Your love and mercy that doesn’t shake a judgmental finger at us, preaching about all the ways we screwed up, but Who gathers us in, stinking, filthy wretches that we are, lovingly dries our tears and wipes the mud from our cheeks and welcomes us home. Thank You for being hope, compassion, and mercy personified. Amen.
Isaiah 28:16 And so the LORD says, “I’m laying a firm foundation for the city of Zion. It’s a valuable cornerstone proven to be trustworthy; no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed. (CEV)
Have a blessed day.
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Altogether beautiful…. (devo reflection)

Song of Songs 4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. (NIV)
This verse has always struck me. We are none of us perfect, but this speaks to love and to focusing on the positive, building up the one you love. What a gift.
Song of Songs 4:7 You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way. (NLT)
It puts me in mind of 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Song of Songs 4:7 O my love, you are altogether beautiful and fair. There is no flaw nor blemish in you! (AB)
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder to focus on the good, to love and edify each other. Thank You for Your fierce love of Your children. Draw us closer. Amen.
Song of Songs 4:7 You are absolutely beautiful, my darling; there is no imperfection in you. (CSB)
Have a blessed day.
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Putting pride aside…. (devo reflection)

Proverbs 17:9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. (NIV)

When reading Proverbs 17:9, 1 Peter 4:8 came strongly to mind: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” I try to embody 1 Peter 4:8, but God has shown His light on some issues on my heart this morning related to Proverbs 17:9 that I know I must deal with. 

Proverbs 17:9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (NLT)

I have mentioned before that perception is often reality (meaning if I perceive you have slighted me, my reality is that slight. Even if it is a misunderstanding on my part, I feel slighted.) Honestly, that is pride: I am putting myself and my feelings above God. I am called to put my pride aside and to love instead and am suddenly reminded of Jesus praying for the soldiers as they cast lots for His clothes instead of calling down curses on them. 

Proverbs 17:9 He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, But he who repeats or gossips about a matter separates intimate friends. (AB)

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for helping me to understand that I still have a lot of work to do in this area to be less worldly and more like Jesus. Help me to let go of transgressions and to love Your people even when my pride wants me to stay offended and dwell on slights. Help me to love You and shine Your light above all else. Draw me closer. Amen.

Proverbs 17:9 You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong. (CEV)

Have a blessed day.

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Peace in the chaos…. (devo reflection)

2 Samuel 20:1a Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there…. 
Today has me praying for peace in the chaos. My feelings and emotions, my overflowing inbox and PO box, my social media feed, and my own concerns and fears about the upcoming school year and the health and well-being of all, tell me that I should be panicking, that fear is the best response given what’s ahead. But God….
2 Samuel 20:2b …He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, Israel!”
God tells me to “Be still and know….” (Psalm 46:10). God tells me to give all my worries and cares to Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). God tells me to be anxious for nothing, to bring my requests to Him with thanksgiving, and that His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my hear and my mind in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:6-7). 
2 Samuel 20:6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this much needed reminder to turn away from the chaos of this world, to turn away my fears, and to bring all of my worries and lay them at Your feet. Thank You for the reminder that You are sovereign, that You are present, that You are my refuge and shelter. Grant me Your peace in the midst of my chaos. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Samuel 20:22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab.
Have a blessed day. I love you.